Dravid drives his way into history books

If there was a sound which could be heard above all others at The Oval yesterday it was of thunder being stolen. How resounding it was, enduring from morning to night, as the inestimable Rahul Dravid took upon his slight shoulders the responsibility for ensuring that India stayed in the Fourth npower Test.

A full-house crowd, the third in succession, had come to witness history being made in the small, dynamic form of Sachin Tendulkar. The Little Master was playing his 100th Test match and a hundred to match was surely his – by divine right if nothing else.

All the attention was on him in the days before the game; he could not breathe without being quoted. But Tendulkar's half-century was a mere cameo performance compared to the luminous leading role played by Dravid. He made his third consecutive Test century and in so doing passed 500 runs for the series. Painstakingly and with enviable craftsmanship, Dravid endeavoured to guide his team to their follow-on target and deprive England of a decisive push for victory in match and series.

The tourists were one run short of that, on 315 for 4, when bad light curtailed the third day with 6.5 overs left. Briefly, in the afternoon session, the match had amounted to something more than India attempting to save it. Their batsmen made 109 in 28 overs.

At tea they were 260 for 3, and memories were stirring of Sri Lankan deeds here four years ago. Then, England had made 445, Sri Lanka replied with 591, including 367 on the third day, and won by 10 wickets. When India's middle order were at full throttle yesterday they could have had in mind that they might, just, race into a lead some time on Sunday and put their spinners to work.

Pie in the sky. If they could overcome the loss of Tendulkar and still maintain their momentum, the fall of Sourav Ganguly was too much. Accel-eration dissolved into consolidation. The 30.2 overs of the third session brought 55 runs and Dravid added 22.

England bowlers played their part as well. They used the old ball for 100 overs, Dominic Cork bowled a succession of short balls. They were negative tactics, but England were not going to be ensnared again by India's talent for the spectacular. It should also be confirmed that on this pitch, much less inviting for bowlers than Headingley, they stuck at it, and bowled the right lines. Andrew Caddick, for one, was much improved.

India were forced finally to conclude, if they had not before, that there was only one option. If this meant that their unwelcome record of going 16 years without a series win away from the sub-continent was to be extended, a drawn match and rubber were not to be sniffed at. Dravid, for one, did not sniff.

As usual he played it straight in every sense, eschewing risk, leaving the ball when he could but being somewhat more than an accumulator. He is not languidly wristy in the familiar Asian way but his backlift is composed of rigid forearms which come down with a mighty snap when he chooses. Dravid is a comely batsman without being flashy. His innings are more memorable than their individual strokes.

The century came from 213 balls, almost regulation for this impeccably synchronised man. His hundred at Trent Bridge, when he went on to make 115, took 208 balls, and the one which followed at Headingley, when he finished with 148, spanned 220 balls. This was his 13th Test hundred, he is the fifth Indian to make three in succession and he needs eight to reach 1,000 runs this year.

How India needed him. They have three musketeers in their middle order (four counting the dashing, unpredictable D'Artagnan figure of VVS Laxman). Between Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid the latter is the least cavalier. It would be wrong to suggest he is the least charismatic.

When play began a mere 15 minutes late there was already a palpable air of anticipation. This was not necessarily prompted by the prospect of watching Sanjay Bangar keeping England at bay all day, but by who was to follow if he did the decent thing.

After half an hour the stolid opener did so, undone by one which seamed away and provided first slip with a regulation snaffle. Tendulkar entered to a standing roar. After striking his third ball for four just to let England know what he might be capable of, he, like Dravid, bedded down. But 10 rasping fours came in his 50 and the inevitable loomed.

Caddick deservedly captured the prize wicket when he hit Tendulkar on the full. The batsman was stuck in his crease and the ball did not have far to travel, although it was swinging to leg. Both Ashoka de Silva and Hawkeye, the television gizmo, indicated that Tendulkar was indeed out lbw, which is a considerable church.

Ganguly is in good touch and smote with purposeful disdain. He had a near miss at short leg when he was 37 but by the time he had made 50 there were plenty of reasons to think this would become his second consecutive hundred. Daftly, he fell for a Cork bouncer, top-edging to give Alec Stewart his 200th Test catch as a wicketkeeper.

Cork illustrated his competitive zeal by racing down the pitch, past Stewart and towards the pavilion, as if he had been caught short. It is probably old-fashioned to regard this as excessive celebration.

England, by and large, have done well this season, but not everything they do is in their interests. An unhealthy amount of time in this match has been taken up on the inquest into the refusal of Michael Vaughan to speak about his coruscating century on Thursday night.

True, his innings was unfinished, but how could that break his focus when he had 17 hours before resuming? All people wanted to know was what it meant to him in his own words. If he also wanted to explain the meaning of life that was up to him. England's coach, Duncan Fletcher, had been reluctant to let Vaughan appear before the fourth estate; the batsman, who is invariably accommodating, was hardly champing at the bit. As he has had three goes after three other centuries earlier this summer, maybe he was worried the script was wearing thin.

Fletcher is an excellent coach who knows his mind. All the media wanted to do was celebrate Vaughan. Test cricket might be a serious business but Fletcher knows it is also only a game. Dravid, incidentally, spoke in his customarily dignified way last night.

This is his time, rather as it is Vaughan's. They are both handsome to watch and they have made this summer. Who would have thought it?

npower Test scoreboard

England won toss

England – First innings
M E Trescothick c Bangar b Zaheer Khan 57
M P Vaughan c Ratra b Zaheer Khan 195
M A Butcher c Dravid b Harbhajan Singh 54
J P Crawley lbw b Bangar 26
N Hussain c Laxman b Bangar 10
A J Stewart c Ratra b Harbhajan Singh 23
D G Cork lbw b Harbhajan Singh 52
A J Tudor c Dravid b Harbhajan Singh 2
A F Giles c Dravid b Kumble 31
A R Caddick not out 14
M P Hoggard lbw b Harbhajan Singh 0
Extras (b12, lb31, w1, nb7) 51
Total (641 min, 155.4 overs) 515

Fall: 1-98 (Trescothick), 2-272 (Butcher), 3-349 (Vaughan), 4-367 (Crawley), 5-372 (Hussain), 6-434 (Stewart), 7-446 (Tudor), 8-477 (Cork), 9-514 (Giles), 10-515 (Hoggard).

Bowling: Zaheer Khan 28-4-83-2, Agarkar 24-4-111-0, Bangar 24-8-48-2, Harbhajan Singh 38.4-6-115-5, Kumble 35-11-105-1, Ganguly 4-1-6-0, Tendulkar 2-0-4-0.

Trescothick 50: 90 min, 67 balls, 8 fours.

Butcher 50: 179 min, 130 balls, 6 fours.

Vaughan 50: 133 min, 92 balls, 8 fours. 100: 252 min, 195 balls, 13 fours. 150: 307 min, 230 balls, 21 fours.

Cork 50: 134 min, 99 balls, 8 fours.

India – First innings
S B Bangar c Butcher b Hoggard 21
V Sehwag c Cork b Caddick 12
R Dravid not out 131
S R Tendulkar lbw b Caddick 54
S C Ganguly c Stewart b Cork 51
V V S Laxman not out 14
Extras (b8, lb1, nb23) 32
Total (for 4, 436 min, 105.2 overs) 315

Fall: 1-14 (Sehwag), 2-87 (Bangar), 3-178 (Tendulkar), 4-283 (Ganguly).

To bat: A B Agarkar, A Ratra, A Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan.

Bowling: Hoggard 18-1-66-1 (nb10) (3-0-15-0 3-1-7-0 6-0-28-1 3-0-9-0 3-0-7-0), Caddick 21.2-7-51-2 (nb2) (2-0-13-1 4-2-4-0 7-3-13-0 2-0-6-0 4-1-14-1 2.2-1-1-0), Giles 30-8-69-0 (1-0-1-0 2-0-6-0 4-1-7-0 6-2-17-0 3-0-15-0 14-5-23-0), Tudor 15-2-59-0 (nb7) (4-2-14-0 2-0-14-0 5-0-25-0 4-0-6-0), Cork 16-5-42-1 (nb4) (2-1-4-0 3-1-10-0 11-3-28-1), Vaughan 5-0-19-0 (1-0-1-0 3-0-9-0 1-0-9-0).

Progress: Second day: 50 in 70 min, 15.4 overs. Close 66-1 (Bangar 17, Dravid 31) 22 overs. Third day: overnight rain delayed start until 11.15am. 100 in 136 min, 30.3 overs. 150 in 198 min, 46.3 overs. Lunch 151-2 (Dravid 65, Tendulkar 38) 47 overs. 200 in 265 min, 62.2 overs. 250 in 301 min, 70.5 overs. Tea 260-3 (Dravid 109, Ganguly 37) 76 overs. 300 in 392 min, 94.2 overs. New ball taken after 100 overs at 307-4.

Dravid 50: 116 min, 88 balls, 8 fours. 100: 273 mins, 213 balls, 15 fours.

Tendulkar 50: 97 min, 76 balls, 10 fours.

Ganguly 50: 112 min, 76 balls, 8 fours.

Umpires: E A R de Silva, D L Orchard. TV replay umpire: N A Mallender. Referee: C H Lloyd.